Cancer Mythbusters: Chemotherapy Myths and Misconceptions

Read the transcript:

MEGAN: Hi, I'm Megan Riesz, and this is Cancer Mythbusters, a podcast from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute about the many myths and misconceptions in the world of cancer. Every episode, we'll take a look at a myth and debunk it with the help of our world-leading clinicians and researchers.

Chemotherapy has long been a mainstay of cancer treatment, but a lot has changed since Dr. Sidney Farber, one of the founders of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, used chemotherapy to achieve the first remission of pediatric leukemia in the 1940s.

Today, in the era of precision cancer medicine, there are newer treatments and types of chemotherapy that can target cancer cells more specifically. Researchers have also discovered the effectiveness of using chemotherapy drugs in conjunction with other drugs to pack a more powerful punch. To put it simply, chemo is a lot better today than it used to be.

Still, there's a lot of misinformation surrounding this kind of cancer treatment. Today, we'll explore some of the most common myths and misconceptions with Clare Sullivan, Clinical Program Manager for Patient Education at Dana-Farber. Thanks for being here today, Clare.

CLARE: Thanks, Megan. Thanks for having me.

MEGAN: So, first, can you just kind of explain generally what chemotherapy is and how it's commonly administered?

CLARE: Sure. Think about what the body does. The body is made up of cells that normally divide and grow and are replaced. Think about how your fingernails grow. Chemotherapy (or chemo, for short) is a group of medicines or drugs that treat cancer and other diseases. Cancer also divides and replicates.

Different chemotherapy drugs act in various ways. Some chemotherapy drugs can kill the cancer as they divide at critical times during the cell cycle, something that we learned way back in high school. Some chemotherapy can target the cancer's food supply and kill important hormones and other nutrients it needs to grow. And then some chemotherapies can target the cancer's genes and prevent it from growing. Then one of the other interesting areas is that some chemotherapy can prevent the tumor from growing new blood vessels that it needs to grow and spread.

There have been many new and exciting developments in the field of cancer care, and when I say this, I mean chemotherapy, whether you add different combinations or other treatments. So, chemotherapy is still a very important tool for treating many cancers today.

MEGAN: Just to be clear, how is chemotherapy different than immunotherapy, which is something that's talked about a lot today?

CLARE: Well, immunotherapy has received a lot of attention because of new medications discovered that help treat cancer, but immunotherapy is unlike chemotherapy because of the way that it fights cancer. Let's start at the beginning. The immune system is a very complex network of cells and organs that defend against foreign substances, like bacteria or viruses.

Think about when you get a cut. The body's defenses go into action immediately scanning and will recognize any foreign bacteria and then send out the correct army or navy to wipe out that invader. The immune system is so sophisticated that it can remember that invader, and if it comes again, it will recognize it and protect you from that disease. This is very similar to the chicken pox.

MEGAN: And let's talk about side effects, which can be big considerations for patients. What are some common side effects that patients experience during chemotherapy?

CLARE: The most common side effects for chemotherapy depend on the drug, the manner it's given, the dose, and how often you get it, but the number one side effect across the board is fatigue. Then there are a few others that I'll mention: appetite changes, nausea. But again, remember, there's a lot of anti-nausea medications that are very effective now. A weakened immune system where you might get bruising or bleeding, and this is because of the way the chemotherapy goes after the cell cycle — it decreases the red blood cell and the white blood cell. Constipation and diarrhea are also another side effect, but again, there are a lot of good medications that are very effective. Then, mouth care — mouth care is really important to prevent mouth sores.

I want to go back to my first symptom, which was fatigue. Fatigue is real. Think about it as tiredness that doesn't go away with rest. If you take a nap and wake up, you should ordinarily feel refreshed, but fatigue is when you wake up and really feel just as tired as when you went to sleep. So, during your treatment, of course, there will be times that you need to rest, but when possible, the best way to offset a host of issues that can happen when you lay in bed all day is to stay active.

Here are some tips. First, I want to think about those days that you're most tired, really struggling with fatigue and really just around the house. Every time that you get up to the bathroom, try to move around. Move from the bathroom to the couch for a few minutes to a chair, and then move back to bed and continue that cycle as you get up to the bathroom. Just keep moving. Keep walking, even if it's around the dining room table and in the middle of the night. If you can carry something like a laundry basket, put some weight in it. If you can carry a carton of milk around the dining room table… Something just to help you move. Do some arm or leg stretches when you're in or out of bed. A tip is that if you're watching TV, put the exercise channel on and follow along in bed.

On a good day, you're going to want to put your coat on right over that bathrobe, walk around the block, get a good pair of slippers with some comfortable soles, and you don't even need to change your shoes.

The tip here for you is that you will find your energy perks up a few days before your next chemotherapy treatment. Use this time wisely. This is when you can really get out of the house. Maybe you might work a half a day. Maybe someone would drive you to work. Maybe you could work around the house. Walk a little further than just around the block. Walk with a little bit of speed. Use your arms. Get off a stop earlier on the train. Take the stairs at work. Take the stairs during your hospital visit. Take the dog for a walk. On your way back, pull a few weeds in the lawn.

If you're in the hospital and you're getting your chemotherapy in the hospital, work with the nursing staff on the floor. Measure how many laps it would take around the unit to equal a mile. We have many units over at the Brigham with signs of encouragement for lap walking.

MEGAN: So, patients often wonder if they will lose their hair during chemotherapy. Can you talk about this as well?

CLARE: Sure. There are many other side effects that are specific to the drugs, and the one that I have not mentioned, as you have brought up, is hair loss. Many people associate hair loss with chemotherapy from movies or TV, but this is not as common anymore. When you enter the infusion clinic, you might be surprised to see that many patients have hair. This is not to say that some chemotherapy still causes hair loss, but it is not as common as people think.

MEGAN: So, chemotherapy can be used in a few different ways — curatively or palliative, for example. Can you talk about this?

CLARE: Yes, Megan. What you're referring to are the three goals of cancer treatment. There are actually three. You may see one of these terms on your initial chemotherapy consent, but most importantly, you may want to confirm with your cancer team what the strategy is for your treatment plan. Starting out on the same page with your team is very important. Remember, this can change as information about your cancer is understood over time by your team.

The three strategies to cancer treatment are cure, control, and palliation. Cure is when the cancer is completely removed, and the intent is that the cancer will not come back. Control would be the second strategy. That's when disease cannot be fully removed from the body, but the team can keep it in check for long periods of time. Then the third strategy is what we call palliation. The disease here cannot be successfully removed and may not be controlled for long, but the team is confident that they can minimize any symptoms to help you feel more comfortable.

The word "palliation" can be confusing and even turn some people off from the medical specialty of palliative medicine. Palliative care is a specialized medical care for any cancer patient. It helps patients get relief from pain, symptoms, and the stress of having a serious illness. It can help improve their quality of life, no matter what treatment goal there is. Palliative care can help with fatigue, pain, nausea, shortness of breath, and a whole host of other symptoms that you may have during treatment, where the goal of palliative care is to help you feel more comfortable during your treatment, preserve your dignity, and better communicate with your family and caregivers.

Palliative care can be helpful through all stages of cancer care. Early on, it can help make the treatment more tolerable. Later, it can help you with daily life, can assist you in planning your care, and provide you with an additional layer of support. Think of it as a superhero. Think of it as the superheroes of cancer care.

Often, people mix up the word "palliative care" and "hospice care." Palliative care is available to any patient with any stage of cancer at any age. Hospice care is for patients also receiving palliative care, but hospice care is typically only given during the final months of life.

MEGAN: Is there anything else you might like to convey to patients who are starting chemotherapy?

CLARE: Sure. There are some tips here that I'd really like to share with you today. For those people who might be going to an infusion clinic or going even to a hospital, it's OK to ask for a tour. Go and visit the infusion area, or even walk through the hospital ward, just to get familiar with the surroundings. Bring a friend and stay active.

If you don't understand something that the doctor or nurse says, please ask them to repeat. It's very important that you understand. Know who to call and when. Keep that information near you at all times, whether it be on your refrigerator, in your wallet, or type it right away in your phone contacts the minute that you get it. Make sure family members have it or close friends know where this information is kept.

MEGAN: This has been an episode of Cancer Mythbusters, a podcast from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. You can listen to this podcast at www.dana-farber.org/podcasts. You can also download this via iTunes or Stitcher. I'm Megan Riesz. Thank you for listening.

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